Ladder.



PATE'EIED AUG. 22, 1905.

J. CLARK.

LADDER.

APPLICATION Hum APB.27.19Q51 31 menl'oz 270/717 Clark 1% 46% PATENToEEioE.

JOHN CLARK, OF TALLMADGE, MICHIGAN.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application flied April 27,1905. Serial No. 257,752.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residingat Tallmadge, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

-My invention relates to improvements in step-ladders; and its objectsare, first, to provide a flexible brace for step-ladders that will allowthe supporting-legs to be placed in various positions relative to thestep ladder standards and to each other, and, second, to provide astep-ladder that may be easily converted into an extension-ladder, andvice versa. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in wl1icl1- Figure 1 is a side elevation of theupper end of the ladder, showing the manner of connecting thesupporting-legs and the adjustment of the braces. Fig. 2 is a backelevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows the same converted into anextension-ladder. Fig. 4 shows the manner of applying the temporarysteps to the extension-ladder, and Fig. 5 shows a very convenient formof belt for connecting the supporting-legs to the ladder-standards toconvert the ladder into an extension-ladd er.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the stile or standard, to which the steps E are secured.

B represents the top of the ladder, which is preferably made of metaland to which the tops of the standardsA are secured by means of screws aor other suitable device and to which the upper ends of the back legs Care linked, as indicated at b c in Figs. 1 and 2, so that they may bereadily adjusted in any direction radiating from these points ofconnection.

The braces consist of flexible cords or chains D, one end of which issecured to the top of the ladder, as at (Z, whence it passes down to andthrough the leg C, as at cl, and thence back to and is secured to thestandard A, as

at cl, thus forming a brace that while it holds the braces, a veryconvenient if not necessary 7 feature in connection with this ladder.

To convert this step-ladder into an extensionladder, I disconnect thehooks o of the legs C from the loops Z) in the top B and reversing theposition of the legs hook the hooks 0 into the loop F on the standard A,securing the leg to the standard at the top of the standard by means ofa properlyformed bolt, as G, a hook and screw-eye, as G, or both, orother suitable device that will safely secure the two together at thispoint, and the temporary steps may be attached to the legs 0 by cuttinga narrow slot it into the legs, passing a pin it through the legs, andplacing a hook H at each end of the temporary steps E in position toengage the pins h in the legs and draw the step up to a close rigidjoint with the legs.

D is a cross-brace of rope or other suitable material between the lowerends of the legs.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination with the standards, steps, legs and top of astep-ladder, loops formed in the top and hooks secured to thetop of thelegs forming a universal joint between the two, and flexible bracessecured at one end to the top of the ladder, thence passing out andthrough the legs and back to, and secured to the standard of the laddera short distance down from the top, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. In combination with a step-ladder, a top having loops, legs havinghooks arranged to engage said loops, flexible braces connecting theladder and legs, loops attached to the ladder a short distance below thetop, in position to be engaged by the hooks on the legs, securingappliances above said loops connecting the ladder and the legs, andtemporary steps secured in the legs, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a step-ladder, the step standards and legs, a top secured to thestandards and hav' ing loops, hooks on the legs in position to engagethe loops, loops on the standards be- I Signed at Grand Rapids,Michigan, April 10W the1 tops and in position to be engaged 22, 1905. bythe lOOkS on the legs reversing the position of the legs, means forholding the legs JOHN CLARK rigidly to the standards, and temporarysteps In presence of interlocked with the legs, substantially as andITHIEL J. (JILLEY,

for the purpose set forth. J. G. YONKER.

